Selmer Alto Saxophone Guide

There are many sax manufacturers, but a Selmer alto saxophone is one of the best ones you can get. Selmer is based in Paris, France, and the best of their saxophones are made there. These are professional quality horns made by one of the so-called "big four" saxophone companies. The other three makers of quality saxophones are Yamaha, Yanagisawa, and Keilwerth.

Options

One of the newest saxes is the Reference 54 Selmer alto saxophone. This sax is modeled after the Mark VI, an impressive saxophone made in the past. It comes with a hard case called a "flight case" because it is designed to keep the sax safe in airport baggage areas. It has a dark lacquer finish and a "Super Session" jazz mouthpiece. The list price of this quality instrument is $6295.

The Model 62 Selmer alto saxophone is less expensive, with a list price of $5760. This sax is in the Series III line of Selmer saxophones. These have had certain ergonomic changes made that make them differ from saxes in the Series II line. These technical changes are designed to make the Selmer Series III saxophones even more comfortable to play than the Series II horns.

Some of the comments made by players who use a Series III Selmer alto saxophone include the following. It does not resist and can really be "pushed." You can concentrate on your music instead of having to think about your saxophone. It sounds velvety and lyrical, focused and compact.

The Model 62 Selmer saxophone comes in brass alloy with copper, which makes a warm sound. It also can be purchased in black lacquer or in silver. The black lacquer and silver versions cost slightly more than the brass Selmer 62. A bit less expensive at $5040 is the Selmer 52, which is in the Series II line, and is also a fine instrument.

Further Reading: